Kuromidori Yanagi
by MJE MICHAEL
Summary: A mysterious green woman of almost absolute power haunts Sakura's dreams, but will she recognize the danger before its too late for everyone she loves? And will she be able to do what she must to protect them?
1. Vision

My first fan fiction, don't laugh please I tried to write well.R+R ok? I really.oh crap I sound pathetic! Just read and review ok? Please? Also I don't own this so don't sue me!  
  
/// = dream "" = words BOLD = scene ************************************ ***CHAPTER ONE: Vision ***  
  
SAKURA  
  
/// Sakura walked down the steps of a building surrounded by inky darkness, her footsteps making no sound at all as she padded down. Ahead of her was the soccer field of her school, empty except for leaves and grass. Out of the trees a figure clad in a black cat suit appeared and ran to the center of the field. Panicking and knowing only that she should not be seen Sakura ran behind an old stately oak tree. From behind the tree Sakura watched as the figure glance anxiously around without saying anything at all. Apparently satisfied, the figure stood still and called up a casting circle about them. So this person knows magic, Sakura thought, I wonder who it is. A wand appeared in the figure's hand, and once again, they searched around themselves. The figure froze as another appeared, a woman who was completely green from head to toe. And in her hand was a large forest green wand. The green woman said something to the original figure and it nodded. The figure raised its wand and called the circle once again.///  
  
Sakura sat up in bed panting, adrenaline coursing through her veins rapidly. Sweat dripped from her forehead and her body shook uncontrollably. Glancing about her she looked for Kero's sleeping figure. When she finally saw him she grabbed him and shook Kero awake. "Wh-what? Do you know what time it is?" "Kero, I had a vision. I think something's coming." Kero nodded off asleep again in her hands. "Kero!" Sakura yelled at his sleepy figure. "This is no time for sleep, now wake up!" "Ok, ok. I'm awake; just quit yelling you're giving me a headache" Kero sat up groggily eyeing Sakura; she hadn't had a vision in three years. She picked quite a time to start again. "What happened?" "I was at my old school's soccer field, and this figure appeared out of the trees. The weird thing was that they knew magic; they even called upon a casting circle. Then this woman who was totally green appeared and started to talk to them. I couldn't hear what she said but it seemed.patronizing. Like she was mocking the figure or something. The figure then just nodded, they didn't even say anything at all. It was like they knew that they had to obey or else." "Or else what?" Kero asked. "I don't know. That's when it stopped." "It was probably just a nightmare Sakura. Relax nothing will happen."  
  
Sakura blushed, "I'm sorry for waking you up Kero; it seemed like a vision at the time." Kero yawned, "I'm sure that it wasn't, besides why would you start having visions again now? It was a nightmare, go back to sleep, you have school tomorrow." Sakura nodded, it made sense. Why would she have a vision now? She had caught all the cards, beaten all the trials, and even transformed the cards into her own name. Logical as all these thoughts were, Sakura spent the rest of her night staring at her bed room ceiling.  
  
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AFTER SCHOOL IN THE PARK  
  
SAKURA "Sakura! Wait up!" Sakura turned around surprised; she was deep in thought when she heard Tomoyo's voice. She had been thinking about her vision last night, or was it just a nightmare? She didn't know anymore, nothing made sense at all, least not anymore. "Sakura, are you training for track?" Sakura looked at Tomoyo quizzically, "Track? Well.no...Why do you ask?" Tomoyo giggled, "Well you were speed walking so fast it looked like you were training or something. But I guess since your not, can I join you on your walk home? You seemed so distracted in class today. You had me worried, you were practically a zombie." "Sorry Tomoyo. I was thinking about a dream I had last night. I guess it kind of freaked me out a little. I didn't mean to worry you at all." "It's ok Sakura, it happens to the best of us. What happened in it?" Sakura told Tomoyo the dream to her in as much detail as she could remember, finishing with what Kero said. Tomoyo was silent for a moment, and then nodded her head decidedly. "Kero is probably right Sakura. Don't get worked up over it. Whatever it is, I doubt it was a vision, and if it does come true. Like your other visions, well at least you know some of what might happen" Tomoyo smiled. "Come on lets go get some ice cream." Sakura smiled back at her, "that sounds great Tomoyo." ----------------------- -------------------------------- Yanagi watched Sakura from the bushes along side the park. This is going to be easier than I thought, she was out of the hearing range, but she could tell from Sakura's body language she didn't suspect a thing. Yanagi closed her eyes and concentrated. Slowly she turned into a raven and flew back to her house. Where she would prepare for tonight. *****************  
  
Misty-green-eyes: OK. I'm evil. But who could help me? Not the pope that's for sure ^-^ I got a plot planned out for this and stuff but I don't know if it will work that well. I mean I like it so far but will you? Ahh who knows! R+R Misty-green-eyes kitty_lion@hotmail.com 


	2. Movie Madness

Ok, chapter one sucked- I'm sorry, but hey at least I tried. Hey did you know that if you put some text in italics on word, it doesn't go italic on the internet? I so did not know that-stupid me. ^-~ but life will go on right? *sweat drop* yeah riiiiigght. Any way here is chapter two. Remember R+R, I need your opinions guys/girls. Oh you know the drill: I own none of the characters (besides the one's I make up). I own none of the places where the scenes take place. I own nothing. T-T that always makes me so sad. Aanny way... I still have no reviews so please write me, flame me *fingers crossed* praise me. Oh and I will post a list on chapter three of those who HAVE reviewed me. Ta-ta! /// = dream "" = words BOLD = pov ~~~BOLD~~~ = scene # (words)# = mental conversations ************************************  
  
***CHAPTER TWO: Movie Madness ***  
  
~~~LEAVING HER HOUSE~~~  
  
SAKURA  
  
Sakura opened the front door as she called behind herself, "bye dad, bye Touya." "Where do you think you are going Squirt?" Touya asked from the living room behind her. "I already told you Touya, I'm going to the movie theater to watch Princess Elandra with Tomoyo." "Is the brat going to be there?" Touya referred to Syaoran. "No, and he's not a brat!" "Are you sure he's not going to be there? ... I don't trust him." "Touya! How could you say that? And yes, I'm sure he's not going to be there. It's just me and Tomoyo-that's it." Touya was silent for a moment, and then he muttered "whatever." Which was his way of giving consent. Sakura went through the doorway and shut it behind her. Pausing for a second she leaned against it, her eyes closed and thought about tonight. Was that true? Was she completely sure Syaoran wasn't going to be there? Tomoyo had just out of the blue sprung the idea of going to the movies tonight. A moment's sudden inspiration to get the vision/nightmare off of Sakura's mind. But was it all that sudden, or was it planned? Sakura opened her eyes and walked down the steps of her front porch and on to the side walk, heading towards the park. A short cut she took to get to the movies faster. Sakura laughed silently, no, Tomoyo couldn't have done that. It was a proven fact that Tomoyo had a real talent for filming but she had little talent for secretly planning plots. Or did she? Sakura rubbed her temples; all this thinking was giving her a headache. She probably was reading too much in to it anyway. Twisting her wrist to look at the watch that Yukito gave her, Sakura saw that it was 6:02; almost an hour before the actual movie started. I wonder why she wanted me to come so early.Sakura asked herself. Isn't it obvious, her paranoid side exclaimed, so she could make sure I was there.so she could bring Syaoran along with her.and make me sit next to him. To make me tell him I love him. So he would look at me like I know he will: disgustedly, like I was worthless road kill on some highway. Then he would say gently "I'm sorry I don't fell the same way..." he would refuse my love and destroy my heart forever. Forever. Forever. "No, she would never do that to me. She would never intentionally hurt me; not on purpose." Sakura thought out loud quietly. Of course she wouldn't, her paranoid side soothingly, but what if it wasn't ON purpose, an accident really. Sakura shook her head to clear it of these thoughts. Now she was almost completely out of the park. Only about two blocks away at most, from the Theater, where she would meet Tomoyo. Would someone be next to her waiting for me though? Someone that happened to have amber eyes and a brown shock of hair? Sakura reached Haku Street, deciding that she wouldn't think of plots or love anymore. Forcing a smile on her face, she thought about Kero's antics. Especially when Kero stuffed Suppi full of sugared deserts, and suddenly her smile wasn't forced anymore.  
  
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~~~PARK~~~  
  
YANAGI  
  
Yanagi watched as Sakura walked in deep thought from her perch on a high tree branch. Tonight Yanagi was in the feral form of a gliding squirrel, it suited her purposes of being able to stay out the sight of the Clow mistress. It also masked her magic from anyone who wasn't intently looking for her. Yanagi chirped a little laugh, Sakura would never suspect a thing until it was all too late for her, and her Cards. She jumped out of the tree spreading her fore legs and hind, letting her land softly on the mossy ground. As soon as she landed she instantly changed herself back into her true form. Getting up she patted her belt where her potion was fastened, the potion that would make her dreams come true. So she could finally have the Clow Cards. No, she reminded herself, it's the Sakura Cards now. Sakura changed them to her own name and honor. Yanagi walked towards the busy street, whispering an invisibility incantation to hide her from alarmed stares. By time she had walked over to the end of the park she was completely invisibly to the naked eye. Yanagi looked down the sidewalk for Sakura, spotting her just as she turned the corner and into the theater. With quick quiet steps she rushed ahead to keep up with her. Just barely fast enough to slip between the closing doors of the theater.  
  
******************************* ~~~THEATER~~~  
  
SAKURA  
  
"Tomoyo! Has the movie started yet?" "No Sakura. Not yet" Tomoyo replied smiling. She knew that the trailer parts of the movie were actually Sakura's favorite part. "Come on lets go grab a seat before all the good ones are gone." "Lets." Tomoyo pushed Sakura through the entrance doors while she took care of the tickets. Sakura was excited already; she had been really waiting for Princess Elandra to come out in theaters. So far of what she knew of it was that it was about a princess named Elandra (AN: duh). Who lived as a prisoner in a magical kingdom of Fim a war torn landing which Lord Sumatra started by killing Elandra's mother: Elisabeth. She lived with the terrible wizard Zambath who kept prisoners for ingredients for his horrible spells, that he made for Lord Sumatra. Zambath was a very powerful, yet very young wizard, who had never known love as a child and was a recluse adult- never leaving his castle. Attaining Elandra only when he killed her father Edmond and fiancé Henry Lowery. Zambath at first kept her in a lonely cold cell, only feeding her bread and water. Then eventually he started asking her questions about the outside world he had never been in. She told him all about it and he fell in love with the unknown outside world; and with her voice. And through some strange miracle she began to fall in love with him, understanding that there was good in him deep down. Finally they both go up to Lord Sumatra and battle him, eventually defeating him and taking over the kingdom. Where from there on, there was no more war and they were married and lived happily ever after. A classic fairytale for the romantic at heart like Sakura. Sakura walked up the isle towards some seats that were at the perfect viewing spot. She sat down and wondered how long it would be until the movie actually started. Just then Tomoyo came back with sodas and a humongous bucket of popcorn. For the rest of the time until it started they talked about various topics, hardly noticing that the theater was quickly filling up; except for two seats next to Sakura. Sakura briefly thought about whom the seats could be reserved for but then her train of thought was quickly pulled away as the trailers started. From there on her mind took a vacation and she was sucked into the story line of the movie. Only being pulled out once when Tomoyo left for more soda. She looked around herself then, noticing people she knew from school. Tomoyo came back with another bucket of popcorn (apparently the other got eaten some how).she tried to get back into the movie but it was arder now. Feeling a warm prickle at her back, she turned White. That meant- Sakura turned to the two empty seats that were not so empty anymore. Sitting there in the dark beside her was the person Yukito meant at the park. It was-  
  
******************************* ~~~THEATER~~~  
  
SYAORAN  
  
His faced burned in the darkness of the theater with anger at Eriol and embarrassment from being tricked by him. Eriol had said that they would catch a movie tonight if he had to drag Syaoran himself and as it turned out he did. Syaoran stopped struggling after a few blocks, because of people staring at him and Eriol. But that didn't mean he stopped being mad at him. When they got to theater it was dark and the movie had just begun to play out. If he remembered right Syaoran knew it was about some princess or something. The theater appeared to be packed to the hilt with girls, Syaoran wondered if Eriol was trying to get him a date again. Which would be just a cruel thing to do, seeing as Eriol knew that Syaoran only wanted Sakura. Eriol looked around the theater apparently looking for a couple seats, so they could actually sit down. Then Tomoyo walked up to him and started talking quietly; Syaoran ignored them as much as he could, instead thinking about his sore feet. It had been a very long walk to here from his apartment. He smiled, glasses flashing in the darkness at Syaoran, apparently, Tomoyo knew where some free seats were, just what he was looking for. Oh no, Syaoran thought, what does they have planned tonight? Could it be another plot? Syaoran didn't doubt it for a second at all. Ever since Eriol had come to Tomoemda, Syaoran hadn't trusted him like Sakura did. Especially since he tried to kill Sakura with those stupid stuffed sheep. Though he thought Sakura had second thoughts about him after that episode. Reluctantly he let himself be pulled along by Eriol's urgent arms. Inside he felt like he could punch him in the mouth right now, just because he made him come to some chick-flick that Tomoyo was at. God why couldn't they just get together themselves without having to drag him along? It was so annoying to be with the flirting duo. Then suddenly he felt a familiar aura near him. Looking to where Eriol was leading him he saw exactly what he had feared: Sakura was sitting right next to two empty seats. But, he thanked his lucky stars; she wasn't paying any attention to the real world. Tomoyo came back and that all changed though. Siting perfectly still and staring strait ahead as Sakura looked around the dark theater. Then she froze, and turned to him in the dark with wide eyes and a slightly open jaw. Syaoran blushed even more furiously than before. He was right; it had been an evil plot to force him to be with his crush. And Eriol was to blame.  
  
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~~~THEATER~~~  
  
SAKURA  
  
-Syaoran! She stared at him blatantly as he looked right ahead of him unmovingly. Sakura snapped back to attention in her seat,sitting nearly as stiff as Syaoran was. After a few minutes when she got her emotions under control she looked to her right at a smiling Tomoyo. Leaning over to whisper in her best friend's ear she controlled the urge to strangle her for doing this to her. "I thought you said Syaoran Li wasn't going to be here!" Sakura hissed. "I didn't know Sakura.I'm sorry. This is uncomfortable for you isn't it?" Tomoyo said smiling like a devilish imp. It was obvious that she HAD known, she WASN'T sorry, and she KNEW it was uncomfortable for the Clow mistress. "no," Sakura muttered, "I'm PERFECTLY fine. This is all PEACHY! How could you do this to me Tomoyo? You know how I feel about him!" "Sakura, relax! It's not as if I sat you next to Richard Simmons. Everything will be fine. Besides have you ever thought that maybe he likes you too? And that he CHOSE to sit next to you?" Sakura sat silently for a minute thinking about what Tomoyo had said. Was it possible? She had never thought of the possibility that he could like her; all she thought of was if he didn't. A warm feeling spread through her chest, it WAS possible. Then she remembered how stiff he was sitting; like he was sitting next to something really- # Disgusting? # Eriol thought towards her, surprising her so much she jumped a little and spilt some of her pop corn. # How did you do that Eriol? # Then more angrily # Why are you in my mind?! # Sakura thought back to him, fuming at how he just burst into her mind. He could have been listening to my thoughts, Sakura shuddered. No wonder why Syaoran hated him so; he really was evil. # Because I wanted to talk to you my daughter. We never really talk anymore# Eriol thought calmly back towards her. # What exactly have you heard?# # What do you mean Sakura?# even his thoughts smiled evilly. # You know exactly what I mean! How much of my thoughts did you hear?# # Enough, my dear. Quite enough.# Sakura's fist hit her thigh with a loud whack; some people looked at her curiously. This was not the part to get angry, the wizard and the princess were falling in love, while singing a happy song. # Eriol answer me! Don't think I won't use the Sleep card so I can kick your ass! Because I will.# # Temper, temper young mistress. All I heard was something about someone sitting really stiff. Shall I guess who that person is?# Sakura doubted he was telling the truth about how much he had heard but she let it slide by- this time. # no you shall not. Now get out of my mind!# # yes Sakura, I suppose I will..# Sakura felt his presence slip out of her mind relieved, he was finally gone. Sighing she turned back to the movie. Now Elandra and Zambath where hiking to Lord Sumatra's prison encampment. Apparently her younger brother was imprisoned there. She couldn't concentrate on it though; out of nowhere she had an alarming thought. She stared ahead tensing up and gripping the arm rests in a death hold. Her reactions were unnoticed by the members of the audience this time. (It was the last scene and Lord Sumatra had a sword to Zambath's neck.)  
  
Lord Sumatra looked down evilly at Zambath, "now you will pay for going against my greatness. There is no way out for you, you are doomed." "Ah, but it is you who is doomed my Lord. For when my sword's blade scratched your cheek, the poison that was on its tip went into your blood. Now you will never kill again." Zambath smiled and watched as the poison took affect on his adversary. Sumatra sank to his knees and gasped for breath, clearly in pain from the poison. "No.." "Yes, there is no way out for you."  
  
Sakura cocked her head slightly; she felt another presence in the room. She looked around seeing nothing. Then she turned in Eriol's direction just in time to see magic sparkles appear over his head and him slump over; paler than usual. She gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth. Her emerald eyes widened with shock. So this person knows magic, I wonder who it is. Her dream came back to her with vivid detail, the green woman; she had something to do with this. Without truly knowing what she was doing she nudged Syaoran who had just now noticed that Eriol had gone unconscious. # Syaoran, he's in trouble# Sakura thought frantically at him. He answered her. # No he's not- he's sleeping. Which is understandable considering the movie. Don't worry my- my friend he is alright.# # No he's not! He went under some spell. I think it has something to do with the vision I had last night.# # What vision?# Syaoran was hurt, she usually told him everything. Why not about the vision? # I'll tell you later. What should we do?# # Do you have your cards with you? Do you have the Sleep Card?# Sakura nodded she understood. Shifting things about in her hand bag she looked for the Sakura Book. When she found it she took out the Sleep Card. On the theater screen, Zambath and Elandra kissed and the credits began to roll. Holding the Sleep Card in her left hand she placed her index and middle finger on the card together. Sleep Card, she thought, make all of Tomoeda sleep for an hour. Sleep Card! It was released just as the lights went on, giggling happily while jumping from place to place, putting people asleep. Coming near Tomoyo, it looked at Sakura questioningly. Sakura shook her head no, and the Sleep passed Tomoyo with out putting her to sleep. Then it bounded out the door. Sakura panicked for a second and called it back- she didn't want to cause any accidents. Instead she choose the Time Card to stop the traffic. 


	3. Past Repercussions

Yay! I'm up to two reviews now! Even my father's resentment towards my "scary" writing can't affect me. But on with the show right? I got nothing new to say besides that so, whatever. ^-^ *cop* do you own this mam? *me* no, I don't own anything. *cop* that's pretty pathetic; I'm arresting you for lack of ownership. *me* oh crap. Like it says people, I don't own nuddin. /// = dream "" = words BOLD = POV ~~~BOLD~~~ = scene # (words) # = mental conversations ************************************  
  
*** CHAPTER FOUR: Double Visions ***  
  
SAKURA  
  
"And after that?" "He'll die."  
  
Sakura gasped and clamped her hands tightly over her mouth to keep from shrieking. After awhile she removed them slowly, thoughts running rapidly and playing tag in her mind. Eriol can't die! What am I going to do? This will kill Tomoyo when she finds out. Can I defeat Yanagi before the spell kills him? Is there an antidote for it? "Kero, we HAVE to stop the spell before he dies, is there any like, antidote I can get for him?" Kero shook his head sadly, "of course there is an antidote, but you will have to kill Yanagi to get it." Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of committing such an atrocious crime. "I-I can't do that! That's wrong Kero." Kero's voice was a cold reasonable calm. "Would you rather have you friend die? I can't guarantee that it will be painful, you saw the vision; and it was quick for them. Think about it Sakura, his energy is being stolen away slowly, little by little. Until there is none left, and you and I both know that it takes energy for your lungs to breathe and you heart to beat. Sakura, if you don't you ARE killing someone; you're killing your friend; instead of your enemy." A slow silent tear of sorrow slipped down her damp face marking its trail with the others before it. Even if Eriol had tried to kill her with stuffed sheep and a giant teddy bear and listened in on her thoughts, he was still a valued friend. Tomoyo, Sakura thought, if I let Eriol die, I would be kill her too. I can't do that, she's my best friend and I have known her forever. And if I lost her.that decided her. She swallowed and stuck her chin out determinedly. "Kero, what do I have to do?" The little yellow figure nodded with understanding. "Good, you know what has to be done, but I need to do something first; with your permission of course." Sakura became confused, what did he have to do? And why did he need HER permission to do it? "What are you going to do?" she asked warily. He started to explain, "When you first opened the Clow Book I could measure your magic level, back then it was Unaware, but I could only see your level for a millisecond-no longer. After you had caught all the Clow Cards and defeated Yue I got another snapshot of your level, Tyro. Then after you had transformed all the Cards to your own power and defeated Eriol, I saw it once again, Novice. But each time was too short to see anything other than your current level, I need to know how strong you COULD be; I need to know your Potential, and if your magic has grown any more. It HAS been three years since I last saw what your level was." Sakura looked blankly at Kero, I don't get it." Kero fell over anime style then got up surpressing his furious frustration with her. How could someone be so dense? He thought. "What do you mean you don't get it?" he practically yelled at her with a vein popping up from his forehead. "Never mind, I need to get a PERMINATE look at your skill level and potential level." "Why?" The winged creature sighed exasperatedly, a headache forming above his temples. "Sakura, Yanagi is a VERY powerful Changeling and sorceress now, and when combined with her fighting skills, it makes her deadly. Then you have to add the minor detail that she is absorbing power from one of the most powerful sorcerers of this time and of the past. And believe it or not, Eriol let you off easy with that darkness spell, your still a Rookie at most kid. You have power now, but I don't know if it will be strong enough alone with out training from me. That's why I'm going to create a Magic Level Sphere, and I need some of your magic to do it." "Oh," she said understanding that Kero was really serious about this. I wonder how he will get some of my magic, she thought, I hope it won't hurt. "How do you make it?" she inquired. Kero flew off her bed and above a clear area on her floor; he motioned her over to him. Sakura felt a little queasy about this for some reason. From here on out things will change, she thought prophetically, and will never be the same. She reached him still nervous, and her thought had just added to it greatly. "Hold my hands in your own and whatever you do, don't let go." She did as she was told a stood there feeling more than just a bit foolish, "now what?" Kero started to close his eyes and Sakura's started to close also with out her consent. "Hold on," he said quietly. Magic wind whipped around them at hurtling speeds and Sakura was lifted into the air, still unable to open her eyes. She felt Kero's grand wings encircle them both, containing the Magic wind with in their space. White blinding light shone through her eyelids causing them to sting and tear up. Something dripped away from her fingertips and took the round shape of a sphere; it became large enough that Sakura could hardly keep her grip on Kero's tiny paws. When it became the size of an American softball, Kero's wings unfolded and the wind dropped her lightly back on to her bedroom floor. Kero let go of her hands, and Sakura could finally open her eyes again. But when she saw what her hands held she had to squint slightly again. On the outside of the ball sized sphere where the colors brown, red blue, white, orange, light grey and gold. They streamed in intricate stripes transparently, shielding an inner core of purple, maroon, navy blue, mauve, rose, and amber. Which protected a silver-green flame of amazing brightness and seemed to almost completely fill the entire inside of the inner core. The flame burned like a fiery star of hope in a midnight sky. Sakura let her hands drop and the sphere remained suspended in the air, slightly bobbing as if it were a floater on a fishing line. The slivery- green illuminated Sakura's face as she spoke in reserved tones to Kero; she never once shifted her eyes away from it. "What do the colors mean Kero?" Kero was also awestruck, "the brown, red, blue and white are the elements of earth. The gray and orange are the moon and sun, gold is Clow Reed's own magic color. And the others in the inner core are Heart magics. Maroon: love, purple: trust, navy blue: sincerity, mauve: hope, rose: friendship and amber: courage. I think they are the key to unlocking your potential. "Some of the more powerful Heart magics I notice." He whispered with quiet pride. "You'll need to unlock the Heart magics before you can get to that flame of potential. And you'll have to do them one by one, with out forcing them to develop. Or else they'll burn out and you will never get to that flame." Sakura reached up and cradled it once again in her hands. She peered inside, slightly tilting her head to gaze at the internal flame with curiosity. The flame grew in response to her touch, and the sphere warmed her hands up comfortably; it was almost like it LIKED her and wanted to stay close to her. "What does the silver-green stand for then?" she asked him cautiously. For some reason she knew what his answer was going to be before he even voiced them. The winged "stuffed animal" cleared his throat nervously making it click and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I-I don't know Sakura, I really don't"  
  
///Sakura was in a pitch-black room that was steadily filling with an eerie fog as she looked about herself. She was all-alone. A chill crept down her spine; loneliness was her second biggest fear, only defeated only by ghosts. "Hello?" she called isolation creeping into her fearfully. Her echo mocked and called back. It was followed by a succession and added to the feeling of being mocked and her rising loneliness. The fog damply kissed her hands and she jerked them out of the now waist high fog. Where am I? She thought, where IS this place? The fog swirled and shifted faintly going just below her thighs now. Odd, she thought, why did it go back down? "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." The voice was light and unconcerned, like it always was in the real world. "Eriol!" she cried and whirled around to face him; Sakura ran to him and enveloped him in a gigantic hug. Relief flooded through her; she was NOT alone after all. She didn't let him go for quite awhile, not really wanting to let go. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. She sobered out of her happiness and looked at him wondering how she was with him and a little mad that he still scoped her mind. Actually more than a little mad. But she still missed his presence in the real world and a diminutive despair trickled through her thoughts. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head and waited for his reply uneasily. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are only a Rookie at magic." He considered the magic phrase, totally ignoring the other things she said. Eriol rubbed his chin in deep thought about it. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" He smiled and started to fade away, "you'll figure it out." "Wait!" she started to panic. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice was fading fast as he started to disappear. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" Then, he was gone. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Sakura walked down the steps her school building surrounded by inky darkness of night. Her footsteps making no sound at all as she padded down stealthily. Ahead of her was the soccer field of her school, bathed in the light of a full moon, empty except for leaves and grass. Out of a patch of trees a girl clad in a black cat suit, complete with little ears, appeared and ran to the center of the field. Her longish hair was pulled back into a cascading tail that whipped around as she ran. Panicking and knowing only that she should not be seen Sakura ran behind an old stately oak tree. From behind the tree Sakura watched as the girl glanced anxiously around without saying anything at all. When the girl saw nothing, she visibly relaxed and called up a casting circle. Magic wove in and about something that was clasped in her hands. So this girl knows magic, Sakura thought, I wonder who it is. A wand appeared in the girl's hand, and she redied herself, while glancing about again. She froze as a green woman appeared and approached her. With, in her hand,a large forest green wand. The green woman said something to the cat girl and she nodded sadly. There was no hope for her, the cat girl raised her wand and called the circle once again./// Beep! Beep! BEEP! Sakura's arm flew out and knocked the alarm over, but still managed to hit the snooze button. The visions came back to her in a rushing stream of memories. The soccer field was pretty much the same as it was before, but there were more details to it and she could tell that the figure was a girl about her age. That new one with Eriol disturbed her though. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. What did that mean? Sakura groaned and turned in her blankets uneasily. At least it's Saturday, she with slight comfort, that means I can sleep in for awhile before I go to Syaoran to figure out what to do about Eriol. She sat up instantly. Eriol! She thought, oh no. I'm supposed to get there early. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and got out of bed. Noticing that her Magic Sphere was "sleeping" on its side on top of her desk. Half smiling, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. [AN: what am I doing up at 1 am?!?! With writers cramps and a headache in accompaniment too? Oh well the show must go on. *pops pain killers into mouth*] Her body felt totally refreshed and her magic hummed at full power inside of her. She stifled another yawn as she changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Sakura picked up her alarm clock and saw that it read 6:00 in the morning. No wonder why I'm yawning, she thought, its sooo early! Briefly, she laid on top of her covers for a quick doze; figuring it wouldn't do any harm. She had just closed her eyes it seemed when her phone screeched alive in her ears. Bringing her back to the world harshly. "Who would call this early?" she wondered. "Hello?" she mumbled groggily. "It's Tomoyo, how is he Sakura?" Her heart ached at hearing Tomoyo's voice so sad and vulnerable; she held back a sigh of grief and answered her. "Not too well, he's in a coma." Silence greeted her ears, broken only by the electronical whine of the phone, it seemed to fill the world, then encompass it completely. "Is he going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Sakura hesitated, truth or avoid? "I'll meet you Syaoran's apartment and explain it to you there okay?" "Oh.okay... Meet you there then I guess." They said their goodbyes and Sakura hung up the phone thoughtfully, it was now 7:30. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. Sakura shuddered, Eriol had forgotten something though. He might die too.  
  
SYAORAN  
  
He watched as Eriol's breath came slowly with effort. Syaoran knew Eriol wasn't going to make it past next Saturday night-no doubt at all in his mind. Eriol's normally violet aura shrunk into him a little more and turned a bit more grey as his energy drain slowly and painfully away. Syaoran set the damp cloth he had been wiping Eriol's fore head with on his coffee table and went outside to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and looked out at the rising sun as it started to cast light on the city. Last night he had felt a flare of magic as Sakura had flown away, going in intricate circles and loops. She had been beautiful and graceful out there in the moon light; he had wished that he had been out there flying with her. Perhaps with his arms around her small waist and his chin on her shoulder. He remembered last night and felt heat rise in his cheeks. Did she like him back? He wondered idly. No, no, that couldn't be. Syaoran suddenly remembered the last girl he had THOUGHT liked him back. Asa Chong. If this turned out like that did, he would absolutely kill himself. Sakura meant so much to him; he never wanted to lose her or her friendship if it turned out that they would be just friends. He turned and stepped back into his apartment, outside was too chilly for him; he could see his foggy breath. Syaoran looked at Eriol in fascination and mild amusement. Who's in control now? He thought at him grinning, your little strings can't do a thing to me when you're like this. His thoughts turned back to Asa lethargically.  
  
~~~FLASH BACK~~~  
  
Syaoran walked around the court yard holding Asa's hand lightly. He was only five, but he felt like he was in love. He looked at her ginger hair and greenish-grey eyes and felt his heart flutter. Boy am I lucky, he thought, she is soo pretty and I bet she likes me too! They walked past a corner and headed towards his sisters; they were laughing and telling each other secrets. She turned to look at his sisters, distractedly with avid excitement. Lightly, he kissed her cheek and blushed redly. Asa turned to him confused, "why did you do that Wolfie?" He turned even redder, "be-be-because I like you Asa, don't you like me?" he felt a little confused himself at her answer. She slapped his shoulder lightly, "of course I LIKE Wolfie! I don't LOVE you or anything but you are alright. Now can we go see your sisters? I love them," she blushed. "I hope some day they will love me too, and then me and them could be together forever." She said wistfully. "Why do you think I hang out with you so much? You're their relative!" Syaoran's face went slack with horror, and he ran away to his room, where he cried for hours. ~~~END FLASH BACK~~~ He shook his head, the only girl he had ever liked turned out to be a lesbian after his sisters, only using him as a step in their direction. Syaoran sighed woefully, and stared at Eriol's motionless Snow White pose, waiting for the second girl he had ever loved to come over.  
  
SAKURA  
  
She grabbed her shoulder bag and looked for Kero anxiously; they had to leave soon if they planned to make it to Syaoran's on time. He wasn't in her room, only the Magic Sphere was, still apparently "sleeping" on her desk. Sakura padded down the stairs lightly, no too concerend that he was doing anything troublesome. Stepping into the kitchen, she called his named quietly, and then she swung open the door. Sakura stifled a scream of surprise and pure unadultered rage, it was a food holocaust. Dity dishes filled the sink and all the avalible spaces on the counters and tables, crumbs and smears of dressing and frosting painted the walls in a mock horrible rendidtion of a Monet. And the center, calmly chewing on the last doughnut was Kero. "Hi Sakura." That put over the edge ompletely. "Kero! What have you done? Look at the mess you made! Now we're going to be late, because I have to clean ALL of THIS up before we go to Syaoran's! I-" "Sakura?" he said glancing at the door behind her nervously. "Then I'm going to put you head first in the-" "Sakura?" he asked again, now staring in fright at the space behind her. "What Kero?!" she yelled at him, blowing back a few hairs on his tiny head. "Look," he said and pointed behind her, cringing from her last yell still. Sakura turned around and almost let out another scream. There was Touya, face red with fury and his hands clenched savagly. He spoke softly and dead calm at her, "you're going where?"  
  
After a detailed interrogation from Touya, she was "free" to go to Syaoran's, relivively free. He left her in the kitchen that she had cleaned as he had "talked some sense" into her, Touya said four little words that Sakura heard way too often from him. "I don't trust Him" She was glad it was finnaly over; he had told her repeatedly that if Syaoran came within two feet of her, he would die. Painfully. Kero had waited patiently during the interrogation, occasionaly adding some more Syaoran slams of his own. Sakura opened her shoulder bag and grabbed Kero by the nape of his neck, stuffing him inside savagly, no caring much at all if he got hurt. There were a few muffled shouts of protest but she ignored them, he had caused too much trouble for her to care about his feelings. It was noon by time she acctually got outside the house, immeatiatly she went to the back yard to make up for lost time quickly. Sakura was supposed to be there over two hours ago. She pulled out two cards from her bag while keeping Kero inside with one hand. She closed the shoulder bag again and called out her wand from its key form. Then she threw the two cards high into the air where they spun like celestial tops. "Fly! Give me wings, Illusion! Make others see me as a bird, Fly, Illusion, release!" Both cards went work at once in a merri-gi-round of white and kalidiscope magic and swirled around her. She closed her eyes to the light and felt her hair swirl into the air gracefully; magical wind played with it and caressed it. A few seconds went by and her shoulder length hair once again rested on her shoulders, and Sakura felt the slight weight of the wings resting on her shoulder blades. Turning, she saw her reflection in the kitchen window of her house, Sakura smiled, all there was looking back at her was a small green bird. It fluttered and twittered in midair, apparently at ease with its suroundings. She gave her wings a testing flap; it stirred up a small whirl wind of fallen leaves. Satified with the wings's strength, she flew up at break neck speed. It took less time to get to Syaoran's apartment than it had to leave it last night, the sunlight warmed her body comfortably and she felt her sun magic swell inside her. Her hair streamed behind her in a short dark- goldish mane, the ginger strands tickled her face and the back of her neck. After she had beaten Eriol she had decided to grow her hair out long, like her mothers had been. But after three years, it had only grown to shoulder length, it had been a slow process but she was detrimined to stick it out till it was as long as she wanted it to be. Sakura flew in loops and circles, diving to the very streets and high above the trees. Smiling she laughed carelessly, forgeting all about Eriol, her potential and most of all about the thousand year old murderer that was loose and after her friends. Kero peeked out and screamed; he ducked his head back into the shoulder bag and zipped it tightly. She laughed at him, he deserved it for this morning.  
  
Finnally she made her way over to Syaoran's apartment becoming sullen and loosing her laughter. She slowed and landed on his balcony, blushing as she recalled last night. Annoyed, she found that the door was locked, so after she muttered a long string of silent curses, she rapped on the glass door. Looking inside, she saw Tomoyo saying something to Syaoran. He turned and looked at her then turned away. Slowly, he turned back to her.  
  
SYAORAN  
  
Tomoyo sat nevously across from him in a lazy boy chair, she had gotton here about and hour and a half ago; which made Sakura over two hours late. She never was a stickler for being on time- in fact she probably couldn't be on time if her life counted on it, but this was just too much. Syaoran could see his feelings of worry mirrored in Tomoyo's eyes and it just increased his own. "Where could she be?" Tomoyo wondered out loud, not really asking Syaoran for an answer and not really not. He had told her about how bad Eriol's condidtion was, and now he knew exactly how bad it was because Kero had called him last night on the telephone around one am. He was pissed at being distrubed at such an early hour, but the information was vital. Syaoran was about to answer her with an 'I don't know' but was interupted by a knock on his balcony door.Syaoran turned to look at the balcony and saw a tiny green bird hoveringing in the air, as if it was waiting for something. Syaoran turned away and ignored the bird and was going to answer Tomoyo when he felt Sakura's aura at the balcony. He turned back to the balcony looking at it for her, but all he saw was that annoying little green bird. Syaoran walked over to the balcony and opened the sliding door to look outside for her. Immeatiatly the green bird flew inside, one of its wings brushing the side of his face. "Hey!" he called out in surprise after it, he was angry too. Now he would have to chase the dumb thing around before he caught it and threw it out again. The bird stopped in mid air and turned to him, then it shimmered and magic poured from it, revealing Sakura in jeans and a t-shirt with a shoulder bag hung on her shoulder. In her hand she held two cards and the now shrunken wand key necklace; she slipped the necklace around her neck and placed the cards back into their holding place in the Sakura Book. Tomoyo and Syaoran stared at her with their mouths agape in surprise, Tomoyo was the first to regain her composure. "What?" Sakura asked after they had stared her for a couple minutes. "Where were you Sakura? Why were you a BIRD?!" she asked partially angry, but still too surprised for it to be real anger. Sakura looked down while she answered her, digging in her bag for something. "Oh, Touya interrogated me for two hours at home and that's why I was so late, sorry. And I had to clean up this huge mess that Kero made in the kitchen. There was half eaten food everywhere and frosting on the walls, it was horrble and he was the reason I got intterogated because-" Syaoran held up his hands defensivly, "whoa, too much information." Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "But I haven't gotton to the bird part yet! You see I used fly to let me, well fly and illusion to make others see me a bird. So I wouldn't draw attention-" "Okay we get it Sakura, just lay off the coffee." Syaoran said putting his hands down slowly. [AN: OMG!!!!! I got a laptop now! Well I'm borrowing it, but I am still excited beyond belief! Well anyway.] Sakura ignored his comment and shifted things about in her shoulder bag, "Kero, you better have not eaten those brownies I brought for lunch." Kero popped out of her bag, chocolate covering his full mouth. He spoke muffledly, "what brownies?" She growled and grabbed for his neck, he flew out and taunted her from across the room with the last half of the last brownie. Sakura ran at him and chased Kero around as Tomoyo ans Syaoran watched the humorous sight. Tomoyo leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, "Do you think Sakura will mind if I tape this?" Syaoran smiled, Tomoyo was soo predictable sometimes. "Sure go ahead. Whats the worst that could happen?" That was the wrong thing to say. As soon as the Tomoyo brought the camera up, Kero, who had been frantically searching for a place to hide, dove for it. Acctually it was more like behind it. Either way, he ended up hiding behind it and Sakura saw her chance to fanally catch the little monster once and for all. She dove over the lazy boy Tomoyo had been sitting in before she had walked over to Syaoran and over the coffee table, and finally over Eriol's couch bed. She was about to land on Tomoyo when Syaoran caught her by her waist in mid air. Sakura struggled against his grip, but he held on firmly, determined not to let go of her for a second. Who knows what she would so to Kero if she caught him. Of course his job would have been easier if Kero stopped floating just out of her reach taunting her. Syaoran had just about completely forgotten about Tomoyo and her camera when they both heard the noise of it zooming in on them. Sakura and Syaoran froze to look at her with identical looks of horrification. There in front of them was the unblinking red light of the worst device that Tomoyo had ever been given in her life. Then Tomoyo said the most hated words that Syaoran had ever heard in his life, just those three little, tiny words: "oh, how kawaii!" They turned stiffly to each other with mirrored faces of embarssed red. Meanwhile, Satan's device kept rolling. Syaoran suddenly became VERY aware of his hands on her slender hips and how close their faces where again, like last night. His mind battled with it's self. One side wanted to bring her in closer and kiss her lips tenderly, not caring what Tomoyo was fliming. The other wanted to attack Tomoyo and destroy her camera, until it became a tiny heap of plastic and metal. He dropped his hands from her waist reluctantly, deciding to do neither, at least not today. Ironically though, his hands had been the only thing holding her up since she was at such a slanted angle, and as soon as he let go, she windmilled her arms and fell to the floor; knocking herself unconscious. Amazingly, without extensive surgery, Tomoyo rmoved the video camera from her eye. "Syaoran! Look what you did to Sakura! You're just lucky that she looks so kawaii when she sleeps, or else I would get REALLY angry." She reattached the camera to her eye like it had never lost its place from there. Tomoyo bent over and zoomed in close to Sakura's face, partially obsuring it from Syaoran's veiw. Syaoran smiled to himself, she DID look kawaii when she slept. Then he bent over and scooped her up in his arms, pretending not to notice the rolling camera that was trained on him.  
  
SAKURA  
  
She woke up but kept her eyes closed, Sakura knew she was in a bed that was familiar some how but she didn't know why. Then it occurred to her and inwardly she smiled, it smelled like Syaoran, she was in HIS bed. Geeze, she thought, I must be obessed with him, I know what he smells like. She opened her eyes to slits; two figures loomed above her, concern shading their features. On her right was a fuzzy looking Tomoyo holding her hand gently. On her other side was a fuzzy looking Syaoran, his normally piercing gaze softened with concern as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. Oh Syaoran, she thought sadly, if only you knew how I felt. She lay there motionless feeling content with no idea why she did, but still she couldn't complain about it. Then Kero popped in to her veiw. "Sakura!" he yelled at her, ruining the whole mood she had been in. "Wake up! You need to order my pizza, now this time I'm thinking double everything with a side of-" Sakura quickly sat up with wide open eyes, instantly her head was overcome with an immeanse headache that pounded her head. To her it felt like a wild and very hungry tiger was locked in the cage of her head and just saw a tasty little child. Moaning she touched her temple and grabbed Kero's entire body with one hand leaving only his head visable. He squeaked in surprise and tried to gulp, which turned into a coughing fit because she was holding him too tight for him to do that. "No.pizza.How. Many. Times. Do. I. Have to. Tell. You?" with an exasperated growl she threw him at, ironically, a desk near Tomoyo's video camera and a coffee container. He tipped over the container of coffee grains on to the desk and slightly bumped two empty coffee cups that were next to it. Tomoyo looked concernedly at Sakura, "are you okay?" Sakura waved her concerns away with her hands. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She started to climb out of Syaoran's bed on her own unsteadily. "I just need to get up and walk it-" she started to collapse when a pair of stong arms caught her in mid fall. Dizzly she looked up into Syaoran's face as he brought her back up to her feet. Once again their faces became exceptionally close. They both blushed furiously just as Kero came back to the world of the waking. Kero looked curiously at the coffee grains around him. Syaoran looked back into her eyes and her heart began to beat a mile a minute, as her face reddened even more. But then again, Syaoran had some color in his cheeks too. A flash of chrome caught Sakura's attention and she once again found her herself looking into the eye of Satan's machine. The one eye stared at her unblinkingly, reflexively her hand flew up to protect herself from it and her hand knocked it away. It sailed high over their heads dramtically towards an unexpecting Kero, who was just lifting a grain of coffee to his mouth. At the last second before it was popped into his mouth, he looked up and saw it coming, but before he could react it slammed into him and he was out again. [AN: oooh that had to hurt! But I do so enjoy tortureing him. Kinda like Jadewing enjoys tortureing Syaoran! Hey, we all have our hobbies.] Tomoyo rushed over to the scene and brushed Kero away with one swipe of her hand. "Oh no! That was my favorite camera!" then she burst into heaving tears. Sakura walked over to Tomoyo with the help of Syaoran's hands on her hips and comforted her and patted her back. "Hush now," she said, "don't worry. It's only a little dent." Syaoran wiped away some coffee grains into the trash as Sakura bent to pick Kero up from the floor. Cradling him in her arms, her thoughts turned over to her conversation and postcognition experience with him. I wonder if Eriol remembers the Animaru Sisters, she thought. Kero stirred and woke up just as Tomoyo's sniffles died away. "How is Eriol today?" the Card mistress asked. "Come and see." Syaoran motioned for them to follow him back into the living room. His hide away bed in his couch was pulled out and Eriol laid on it completely motionless. His lips were parted slighly and his hands rested limply on his chest; if they added a flower boquet, he would be the picture image of Snow White. "What are we going to do Syaoran?" she asked him softly while looking at Eriol. He shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. If only you had a card that could break the spell or at least wake him up." he drifted off motioning his hands slightly while he shook his head. It seemed hopeless but Sakura got an idea suddenly.  
  
ERIOL  
  
He was alone in a dark and seemingly endless room of voidness. A spell, he thought, I'm under a bloody drain spell. but I only knew one person a long, long time ago that knew how to cast a drain spell and that's-  
  
Memories of his past life flooded through his brain overwhelmingly. The rainy night he had first saw the three of them, the cards telling him about Yanagi, putting spell on her and the Clow Book, so when ever she tried to touch it her hands would right through. And that September morning when he found Delta dead in his bed, then her sister Ambi dead in hers. Both killed by their own sister. Oh no, she back, he thought sadly, now she's going finish her bussiness and kill Tomoyo then take Sakura's cards. He felt more magic slip away from him and he sank ankle deep down into the ground, he was getting closer to death. What can I do? He asked himself. "Hello?" Eriol watched Sakura appear and let her echoes answer her for the time being. A Dream fog came with her and started to fill the "room". He heard her thoughts clearly as if they were his own. Where am I? She thought where IS this place? He answered them "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." She spun around and looked at him, and then she ran to him after crying out his name. Sakura hugged him, sqeezing out his breath. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. He watched them with interest, she sobered out of her happiness looked at him warily. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head down. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are just a Rookie at magic." He mock ignored all that she had said except for the part about her innercore and potential. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" Sakura and her Dream Fog started to disappate. She was either waking up or was moving on to a new dream. "You'll figure it out." "Wait! What is that supposed to mean?" He desperately wanted to tell her exactly what it ment, but he was bound by the Laws of Destiny and Fate. Eriol hoped she got the message though. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" She vanished completely and he was once again alone waiting for a rescue or death- which ever came first. At least, he thought, I have some entertainment while I have to wait. His glasses flashed in the dark even though there was no light there at all. Eriol recalled what he "saw" when Sakura remembered what happened that day. Oh I can tease him FORVER; he laughed maniacily, the balcony scene played out in his mind and an evil smile spread across his lips.  
  
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Yay! Hehehehehehhe... Oh I WILL have a LOT of fun through Eriol I think. I'm pretty sure I will let him live just based on the fact that he amuses me. Ok now I will explain a little of what happened in this chapter. The personality emotions are the key to opening her poetential. One by one she will have to unlock her personality emotions. I think sincerity will be first. The others later as I came to them, oh well ta ta for now! 


	4. Double Visions

Yay! I'm up to two reviews now! Even my father's resentment towards my "scary" writing can't affect me. But on with the show right? I got nothing new to say besides that so, whatever. ^-^ *cop* do you own this mam? *me* no, I don't own anything. *cop* that's pretty pathetic; I'm arresting you for lack of ownership. *me* oh crap. Like it says people, I don't own nuddin. /// = dream "" = words BOLD = POV ~~~BOLD~~~ = scene # (words) # = mental conversations ************************************  
  
*** CHAPTER FOUR: Double Visions ***  
  
SAKURA  
  
"And after that?" "He'll die."  
  
Sakura gasped and clamped her hands tightly over her mouth to keep from shrieking. After awhile she removed them slowly, thoughts running rapidly and playing tag in her mind. Eriol can't die! What am I going to do? This will kill Tomoyo when she finds out. Can I defeat Yanagi before the spell kills him? Is there an antidote for it? "Kero, we HAVE to stop the spell before he dies, is there any like, antidote I can get for him?" Kero shook his head sadly, "of course there is an antidote, but you will have to kill Yanagi to get it." Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of committing such an atrocious crime. "I-I can't do that! That's wrong Kero." Kero's voice was a cold reasonable calm. "Would you rather have you friend die? I can't guarantee that it will be painful, you saw the vision; and it was quick for them. Think about it Sakura, his energy is being stolen away slowly, little by little. Until there is none left, and you and I both know that it takes energy for your lungs to breathe and you heart to beat. Sakura, if you don't you ARE killing someone; you're killing your friend; instead of your enemy." A slow silent tear of sorrow slipped down her damp face marking its trail with the others before it. Even if Eriol had tried to kill her with stuffed sheep and a giant teddy bear and listened in on her thoughts, he was still a valued friend. Tomoyo, Sakura thought, if I let Eriol die, I would be kill her too. I can't do that, she's my best friend and I have known her forever. And if I lost her.that decided her. She swallowed and stuck her chin out determinedly. "Kero, what do I have to do?" The little yellow figure nodded with understanding. "Good, you know what has to be done, but I need to do something first; with your permission of course." Sakura became confused, what did he have to do? And why did he need HER permission to do it? "What are you going to do?" she asked warily. He started to explain, "When you first opened the Clow Book I could measure your magic level, back then it was Unaware, but I could only see your level for a millisecond-no longer. After you had caught all the Clow Cards and defeated Yue I got another snapshot of your level, Tyro. Then after you had transformed all the Cards to your own power and defeated Eriol, I saw it once again, Novice. But each time was too short to see anything other than your current level, I need to know how strong you COULD be; I need to know your Potential, and if your magic has grown any more. It HAS been three years since I last saw what your level was." Sakura looked blankly at Kero, I don't get it." Kero fell over anime style then got up surpressing his furious frustration with her. How could someone be so dense? He thought. "What do you mean you don't get it?" he practically yelled at her with a vein popping up from his forehead. "Never mind, I need to get a PERMINATE look at your skill level and potential level." "Why?" The winged creature sighed exasperatedly, a headache forming above his temples. "Sakura, Yanagi is a VERY powerful Changeling and sorceress now, and when combined with her fighting skills, it makes her deadly. Then you have to add the minor detail that she is absorbing power from one of the most powerful sorcerers of this time and of the past. And believe it or not, Eriol let you off easy with that darkness spell, your still a Rookie at most kid. You have power now, but I don't know if it will be strong enough alone with out training from me. That's why I'm going to create a Magic Level Sphere, and I need some of your magic to do it." "Oh," she said understanding that Kero was really serious about this. I wonder how he will get some of my magic, she thought, I hope it won't hurt. "How do you make it?" she inquired. Kero flew off her bed and above a clear area on her floor; he motioned her over to him. Sakura felt a little queasy about this for some reason. From here on out things will change, she thought prophetically, and will never be the same. She reached him still nervous, and her thought had just added to it greatly. "Hold my hands in your own and whatever you do, don't let go." She did as she was told a stood there feeling more than just a bit foolish, "now what?" Kero started to close his eyes and Sakura's started to close also with out her consent. "Hold on," he said quietly. Magic wind whipped around them at hurtling speeds and Sakura was lifted into the air, still unable to open her eyes. She felt Kero's grand wings encircle them both, containing the Magic wind with in their space. White blinding light shone through her eyelids causing them to sting and tear up. Something dripped away from her fingertips and took the round shape of a sphere; it became large enough that Sakura could hardly keep her grip on Kero's tiny paws. When it became the size of an American softball, Kero's wings unfolded and the wind dropped her lightly back on to her bedroom floor. Kero let go of her hands, and Sakura could finally open her eyes again. But when she saw what her hands held she had to squint slightly again. On the outside of the ball sized sphere where the colors brown, red blue, white, orange, light grey and gold. They streamed in intricate stripes transparently, shielding an inner core of purple, maroon, navy blue, mauve, rose, and amber. Which protected a silver-green flame of amazing brightness and seemed to almost completely fill the entire inside of the inner core. The flame burned like a fiery star of hope in a midnight sky. Sakura let her hands drop and the sphere remained suspended in the air, slightly bobbing as if it were a floater on a fishing line. The slivery- green illuminated Sakura's face as she spoke in reserved tones to Kero; she never once shifted her eyes away from it. "What do the colors mean Kero?" Kero was also awestruck, "the brown, red, blue and white are the elements of earth. The gray and orange are the moon and sun, gold is Clow Reed's own magic color. And the others in the inner core are Heart magics. Maroon: love, purple: trust, navy blue: sincerity, mauve: hope, rose: friendship and amber: courage. I think they are the key to unlocking your potential. "Some of the more powerful Heart magics I notice." He whispered with quiet pride. "You'll need to unlock the Heart magics before you can get to that flame of potential. And you'll have to do them one by one, with out forcing them to develop. Or else they'll burn out and you will never get to that flame." Sakura reached up and cradled it once again in her hands. She peered inside, slightly tilting her head to gaze at the internal flame with curiosity. The flame grew in response to her touch, and the sphere warmed her hands up comfortably; it was almost like it LIKED her and wanted to stay close to her. "What does the silver-green stand for then?" she asked him cautiously. For some reason she knew what his answer was going to be before he even voiced them. The winged "stuffed animal" cleared his throat nervously making it click and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I-I don't know Sakura, I really don't"  
  
///Sakura was in a pitch-black room that was steadily filling with an eerie fog as she looked about herself. She was all-alone. A chill crept down her spine; loneliness was her second biggest fear, only defeated only by ghosts. "Hello?" she called isolation creeping into her fearfully. Her echo mocked and called back. It was followed by a succession and added to the feeling of being mocked and her rising loneliness. The fog damply kissed her hands and she jerked them out of the now waist high fog. Where am I? She thought, where IS this place? The fog swirled and shifted faintly going just below her thighs now. Odd, she thought, why did it go back down? "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." The voice was light and unconcerned, like it always was in the real world. "Eriol!" she cried and whirled around to face him; Sakura ran to him and enveloped him in a gigantic hug. Relief flooded through her; she was NOT alone after all. She didn't let him go for quite awhile, not really wanting to let go. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. She sobered out of her happiness and looked at him wondering how she was with him and a little mad that he still scoped her mind. Actually more than a little mad. But she still missed his presence in the real world and a diminutive despair trickled through her thoughts. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head and waited for his reply uneasily. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are only a Rookie at magic." He considered the magic phrase, totally ignoring the other things she said. Eriol rubbed his chin in deep thought about it. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" He smiled and started to fade away, "you'll figure it out." "Wait!" she started to panic. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice was fading fast as he started to disappear. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" Then, he was gone. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Sakura walked down the steps her school building surrounded by inky darkness of night. Her footsteps making no sound at all as she padded down stealthily. Ahead of her was the soccer field of her school, bathed in the light of a full moon, empty except for leaves and grass. Out of a patch of trees a girl clad in a black cat suit, complete with little ears, appeared and ran to the center of the field. Her longish hair was pulled back into a cascading tail that whipped around as she ran. Panicking and knowing only that she should not be seen Sakura ran behind an old stately oak tree. From behind the tree Sakura watched as the girl glanced anxiously around without saying anything at all. When the girl saw nothing, she visibly relaxed and called up a casting circle. Magic wove in and about something that was clasped in her hands. So this girl knows magic, Sakura thought, I wonder who it is. A wand appeared in the girl's hand, and she redied herself, while glancing about again. She froze as a green woman appeared and approached her. With, in her hand,a large forest green wand. The green woman said something to the cat girl and she nodded sadly. There was no hope for her, the cat girl raised her wand and called the circle once again./// Beep! Beep! BEEP! Sakura's arm flew out and knocked the alarm over, but still managed to hit the snooze button. The visions came back to her in a rushing stream of memories. The soccer field was pretty much the same as it was before, but there were more details to it and she could tell that the figure was a girl about her age. That new one with Eriol disturbed her though. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. What did that mean? Sakura groaned and turned in her blankets uneasily. At least it's Saturday, she with slight comfort, that means I can sleep in for awhile before I go to Syaoran to figure out what to do about Eriol. She sat up instantly. Eriol! She thought, oh no. I'm supposed to get there early. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and got out of bed. Noticing that her Magic Sphere was "sleeping" on its side on top of her desk. Half smiling, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. [AN: what am I doing up at 1 am?!?! With writers cramps and a headache in accompaniment too? Oh well the show must go on. *pops pain killers into mouth*] Her body felt totally refreshed and her magic hummed at full power inside of her. She stifled another yawn as she changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Sakura picked up her alarm clock and saw that it read 6:00 in the morning. No wonder why I'm yawning, she thought, its sooo early! Briefly, she laid on top of her covers for a quick doze; figuring it wouldn't do any harm. She had just closed her eyes it seemed when her phone screeched alive in her ears. Bringing her back to the world harshly. "Who would call this early?" she wondered. "Hello?" she mumbled groggily. "It's Tomoyo, how is he Sakura?" Her heart ached at hearing Tomoyo's voice so sad and vulnerable; she held back a sigh of grief and answered her. "Not too well, he's in a coma." Silence greeted her ears, broken only by the electronical whine of the phone, it seemed to fill the world, then encompass it completely. "Is he going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Sakura hesitated, truth or avoid? "I'll meet you Syaoran's apartment and explain it to you there okay?" "Oh.okay... Meet you there then I guess." They said their goodbyes and Sakura hung up the phone thoughtfully, it was now 7:30. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. Sakura shuddered, Eriol had forgotten something though. He might die too.  
  
SYAORAN  
  
He watched as Eriol's breath came slowly with effort. Syaoran knew Eriol wasn't going to make it past next Saturday night-no doubt at all in his mind. Eriol's normally violet aura shrunk into him a little more and turned a bit more grey as his energy drain slowly and painfully away. Syaoran set the damp cloth he had been wiping Eriol's fore head with on his coffee table and went outside to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and looked out at the rising sun as it started to cast light on the city. Last night he had felt a flare of magic as Sakura had flown away, going in intricate circles and loops. She had been beautiful and graceful out there in the moon light; he had wished that he had been out there flying with her. Perhaps with his arms around her small waist and his chin on her shoulder. He remembered last night and felt heat rise in his cheeks. Did she like him back? He wondered idly. No, no, that couldn't be. Syaoran suddenly remembered the last girl he had THOUGHT liked him back. Asa Chong. If this turned out like that did, he would absolutely kill himself. Sakura meant so much to him; he never wanted to lose her or her friendship if it turned out that they would be just friends. He turned and stepped back into his apartment, outside was too chilly for him; he could see his foggy breath. Syaoran looked at Eriol in fascination and mild amusement. Who's in control now? He thought at him grinning, your little strings can't do a thing to me when you're like this. His thoughts turned back to Asa lethargically.  
  
~~~FLASH BACK~~~  
  
Syaoran walked around the court yard holding Asa's hand lightly. He was only five, but he felt like he was in love. He looked at her ginger hair and greenish-grey eyes and felt his heart flutter. Boy am I lucky, he thought, she is soo pretty and I bet she likes me too! They walked past a corner and headed towards his sisters; they were laughing and telling each other secrets. She turned to look at his sisters, distractedly with avid excitement. Lightly, he kissed her cheek and blushed redly. Asa turned to him confused, "why did you do that Wolfie?" He turned even redder, "be-be-because I like you Asa, don't you like me?" he felt a little confused himself at her answer. She slapped his shoulder lightly, "of course I LIKE Wolfie! I don't LOVE you or anything but you are alright. Now can we go see your sisters? I love them," she blushed. "I hope some day they will love me too, and then me and them could be together forever." She said wistfully. "Why do you think I hang out with you so much? You're their relative!" Syaoran's face went slack with horror, and he ran away to his room, where he cried for hours. ~~~END FLASH BACK~~~ He shook his head, the only girl he had ever liked turned out to be a lesbian after his sisters, only using him as a step in their direction. Syaoran sighed woefully, and stared at Eriol's motionless Snow White pose, waiting for the second girl he had ever loved to come over.  
  
SAKURA  
  
She grabbed her shoulder bag and looked for Kero anxiously; they had to leave soon if they planned to make it to Syaoran's on time. He wasn't in her room, only the Magic Sphere was, still apparently "sleeping" on her desk. Sakura padded down the stairs lightly, no too concerend that he was doing anything troublesome. Stepping into the kitchen, she called his named quietly, and then she swung open the door. Sakura stifled a scream of surprise and pure unadultered rage, it was a food holocaust. Dity dishes filled the sink and all the avalible spaces on the counters and tables, crumbs and smears of dressing and frosting painted the walls in a mock horrible rendidtion of a Monet. And the center, calmly chewing on the last doughnut was Kero. "Hi Sakura." That put over the edge ompletely. "Kero! What have you done? Look at the mess you made! Now we're going to be late, because I have to clean ALL of THIS up before we go to Syaoran's! I-" "Sakura?" he said glancing at the door behind her nervously. "Then I'm going to put you head first in the-" "Sakura?" he asked again, now staring in fright at the space behind her. "What Kero?!" she yelled at him, blowing back a few hairs on his tiny head. "Look," he said and pointed behind her, cringing from her last yell still. Sakura turned around and almost let out another scream. There was Touya, face red with fury and his hands clenched savagly. He spoke softly and dead calm at her, "you're going where?"  
  
After a detailed interrogation from Touya, she was "free" to go to Syaoran's, relivively free. He left her in the kitchen that she had cleaned as he had "talked some sense" into her, Touya said four little words that Sakura heard way too often from him. "I don't trust Him" She was glad it was finnaly over; he had told her repeatedly that if Syaoran came within two feet of her, he would die. Painfully. Kero had waited patiently during the interrogation, occasionaly adding some more Syaoran slams of his own. Sakura opened her shoulder bag and grabbed Kero by the nape of his neck, stuffing him inside savagly, no caring much at all if he got hurt. There were a few muffled shouts of protest but she ignored them, he had caused too much trouble for her to care about his feelings. It was noon by time she acctually got outside the house, immeatiatly she went to the back yard to make up for lost time quickly. Sakura was supposed to be there over two hours ago. She pulled out two cards from her bag while keeping Kero inside with one hand. She closed the shoulder bag again and called out her wand from its key form. Then she threw the two cards high into the air where they spun like celestial tops. "Fly! Give me wings, Illusion! Make others see me as a bird, Fly, Illusion, release!" Both cards went work at once in a merri-gi-round of white and kalidiscope magic and swirled around her. She closed her eyes to the light and felt her hair swirl into the air gracefully; magical wind played with it and caressed it. A few seconds went by and her shoulder length hair once again rested on her shoulders, and Sakura felt the slight weight of the wings resting on her shoulder blades. Turning, she saw her reflection in the kitchen window of her house, Sakura smiled, all there was looking back at her was a small green bird. It fluttered and twittered in midair, apparently at ease with its suroundings. She gave her wings a testing flap; it stirred up a small whirl wind of fallen leaves. Satified with the wings's strength, she flew up at break neck speed. It took less time to get to Syaoran's apartment than it had to leave it last night, the sunlight warmed her body comfortably and she felt her sun magic swell inside her. Her hair streamed behind her in a short dark- goldish mane, the ginger strands tickled her face and the back of her neck. After she had beaten Eriol she had decided to grow her hair out long, like her mothers had been. But after three years, it had only grown to shoulder length, it had been a slow process but she was detrimined to stick it out till it was as long as she wanted it to be. Sakura flew in loops and circles, diving to the very streets and high above the trees. Smiling she laughed carelessly, forgeting all about Eriol, her potential and most of all about the thousand year old murderer that was loose and after her friends. Kero peeked out and screamed; he ducked his head back into the shoulder bag and zipped it tightly. She laughed at him, he deserved it for this morning.  
  
Finnally she made her way over to Syaoran's apartment becoming sullen and loosing her laughter. She slowed and landed on his balcony, blushing as she recalled last night. Annoyed, she found that the door was locked, so after she muttered a long string of silent curses, she rapped on the glass door. Looking inside, she saw Tomoyo saying something to Syaoran. He turned and looked at her then turned away. Slowly, he turned back to her.  
  
SYAORAN  
  
Tomoyo sat nevously across from him in a lazy boy chair, she had gotton here about and hour and a half ago; which made Sakura over two hours late. She never was a stickler for being on time- in fact she probably couldn't be on time if her life counted on it, but this was just too much. Syaoran could see his feelings of worry mirrored in Tomoyo's eyes and it just increased his own. "Where could she be?" Tomoyo wondered out loud, not really asking Syaoran for an answer and not really not. He had told her about how bad Eriol's condidtion was, and now he knew exactly how bad it was because Kero had called him last night on the telephone around one am. He was pissed at being distrubed at such an early hour, but the information was vital. Syaoran was about to answer her with an 'I don't know' but was interupted by a knock on his balcony door.Syaoran turned to look at the balcony and saw a tiny green bird hoveringing in the air, as if it was waiting for something. Syaoran turned away and ignored the bird and was going to answer Tomoyo when he felt Sakura's aura at the balcony. He turned back to the balcony looking at it for her, but all he saw was that annoying little green bird. Syaoran walked over to the balcony and opened the sliding door to look outside for her. Immeatiatly the green bird flew inside, one of its wings brushing the side of his face. "Hey!" he called out in surprise after it, he was angry too. Now he would have to chase the dumb thing around before he caught it and threw it out again. The bird stopped in mid air and turned to him, then it shimmered and magic poured from it, revealing Sakura in jeans and a t-shirt with a shoulder bag hung on her shoulder. In her hand she held two cards and the now shrunken wand key necklace; she slipped the necklace around her neck and placed the cards back into their holding place in the Sakura Book. Tomoyo and Syaoran stared at her with their mouths agape in surprise, Tomoyo was the first to regain her composure. "What?" Sakura asked after they had stared her for a couple minutes. "Where were you Sakura? Why were you a BIRD?!" she asked partially angry, but still too surprised for it to be real anger. Sakura looked down while she answered her, digging in her bag for something. "Oh, Touya interrogated me for two hours at home and that's why I was so late, sorry. And I had to clean up this huge mess that Kero made in the kitchen. There was half eaten food everywhere and frosting on the walls, it was horrble and he was the reason I got intterogated because-" Syaoran held up his hands defensivly, "whoa, too much information." Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "But I haven't gotton to the bird part yet! You see I used fly to let me, well fly and illusion to make others see me a bird. So I wouldn't draw attention-" "Okay we get it Sakura, just lay off the coffee." Syaoran said putting his hands down slowly. [AN: OMG!!!!! I got a laptop now! Well I'm borrowing it, but I am still excited beyond belief! Well anyway.] Sakura ignored his comment and shifted things about in her shoulder bag, "Kero, you better have not eaten those brownies I brought for lunch." Kero popped out of her bag, chocolate covering his full mouth. He spoke muffledly, "what brownies?" She growled and grabbed for his neck, he flew out and taunted her from across the room with the last half of the last brownie. Sakura ran at him and chased Kero around as Tomoyo ans Syaoran watched the humorous sight. Tomoyo leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, "Do you think Sakura will mind if I tape this?" Syaoran smiled, Tomoyo was soo predictable sometimes. "Sure go ahead. Whats the worst that could happen?" That was the wrong thing to say. As soon as the Tomoyo brought the camera up, Kero, who had been frantically searching for a place to hide, dove for it. Acctually it was more like behind it. Either way, he ended up hiding behind it and Sakura saw her chance to fanally catch the little monster once and for all. She dove over the lazy boy Tomoyo had been sitting in before she had walked over to Syaoran and over the coffee table, and finally over Eriol's couch bed. She was about to land on Tomoyo when Syaoran caught her by her waist in mid air. Sakura struggled against his grip, but he held on firmly, determined not to let go of her for a second. Who knows what she would so to Kero if she caught him. Of course his job would have been easier if Kero stopped floating just out of her reach taunting her. Syaoran had just about completely forgotten about Tomoyo and her camera when they both heard the noise of it zooming in on them. Sakura and Syaoran froze to look at her with identical looks of horrification. There in front of them was the unblinking red light of the worst device that Tomoyo had ever been given in her life. Then Tomoyo said the most hated words that Syaoran had ever heard in his life, just those three little, tiny words: "oh, how kawaii!" They turned stiffly to each other with mirrored faces of embarssed red. Meanwhile, Satan's device kept rolling. Syaoran suddenly became VERY aware of his hands on her slender hips and how close their faces where again, like last night. His mind battled with it's self. One side wanted to bring her in closer and kiss her lips tenderly, not caring what Tomoyo was fliming. The other wanted to attack Tomoyo and destroy her camera, until it became a tiny heap of plastic and metal. He dropped his hands from her waist reluctantly, deciding to do neither, at least not today. Ironically though, his hands had been the only thing holding her up since she was at such a slanted angle, and as soon as he let go, she windmilled her arms and fell to the floor; knocking herself unconscious. Amazingly, without extensive surgery, Tomoyo rmoved the video camera from her eye. "Syaoran! Look what you did to Sakura! You're just lucky that she looks so kawaii when she sleeps, or else I would get REALLY angry." She reattached the camera to her eye like it had never lost its place from there. Tomoyo bent over and zoomed in close to Sakura's face, partially obsuring it from Syaoran's veiw. Syaoran smiled to himself, she DID look kawaii when she slept. Then he bent over and scooped her up in his arms, pretending not to notice the rolling camera that was trained on him.  
  
SAKURA  
  
She woke up but kept her eyes closed, Sakura knew she was in a bed that was familiar some how but she didn't know why. Then it occurred to her and inwardly she smiled, it smelled like Syaoran, she was in HIS bed. Geeze, she thought, I must be obessed with him, I know what he smells like. She opened her eyes to slits; two figures loomed above her, concern shading their features. On her right was a fuzzy looking Tomoyo holding her hand gently. On her other side was a fuzzy looking Syaoran, his normally piercing gaze softened with concern as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. Oh Syaoran, she thought sadly, if only you knew how I felt. She lay there motionless feeling content with no idea why she did, but still she couldn't complain about it. Then Kero popped in to her veiw. "Sakura!" he yelled at her, ruining the whole mood she had been in. "Wake up! You need to order my pizza, now this time I'm thinking double everything with a side of-" Sakura quickly sat up with wide open eyes, instantly her head was overcome with an immeanse headache that pounded her head. To her it felt like a wild and very hungry tiger was locked in the cage of her head and just saw a tasty little child. Moaning she touched her temple and grabbed Kero's entire body with one hand leaving only his head visable. He squeaked in surprise and tried to gulp, which turned into a coughing fit because she was holding him too tight for him to do that. "No.pizza.How. Many. Times. Do. I. Have to. Tell. You?" with an exasperated growl she threw him at, ironically, a desk near Tomoyo's video camera and a coffee container. He tipped over the container of coffee grains on to the desk and slightly bumped two empty coffee cups that were next to it. Tomoyo looked concernedly at Sakura, "are you okay?" Sakura waved her concerns away with her hands. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She started to climb out of Syaoran's bed on her own unsteadily. "I just need to get up and walk it-" she started to collapse when a pair of stong arms caught her in mid fall. Dizzly she looked up into Syaoran's face as he brought her back up to her feet. Once again their faces became exceptionally close. They both blushed furiously just as Kero came back to the world of the waking. Kero looked curiously at the coffee grains around him. Syaoran looked back into her eyes and her heart began to beat a mile a minute, as her face reddened even more. But then again, Syaoran had some color in his cheeks too. A flash of chrome caught Sakura's attention and she once again found her herself looking into the eye of Satan's machine. The one eye stared at her unblinkingly, reflexively her hand flew up to protect herself from it and her hand knocked it away. It sailed high over their heads dramtically towards an unexpecting Kero, who was just lifting a grain of coffee to his mouth. At the last second before it was popped into his mouth, he looked up and saw it coming, but before he could react it slammed into him and he was out again. [AN: oooh that had to hurt! But I do so enjoy tortureing him. Kinda like Jadewing enjoys tortureing Syaoran! Hey, we all have our hobbies.] Tomoyo rushed over to the scene and brushed Kero away with one swipe of her hand. "Oh no! That was my favorite camera!" then she burst into heaving tears. Sakura walked over to Tomoyo with the help of Syaoran's hands on her hips and comforted her and patted her back. "Hush now," she said, "don't worry. It's only a little dent." Syaoran wiped away some coffee grains into the trash as Sakura bent to pick Kero up from the floor. Cradling him in her arms, her thoughts turned over to her conversation and postcognition experience with him. I wonder if Eriol remembers the Animaru Sisters, she thought. Kero stirred and woke up just as Tomoyo's sniffles died away. "How is Eriol today?" the Card mistress asked. "Come and see." Syaoran motioned for them to follow him back into the living room. His hide away bed in his couch was pulled out and Eriol laid on it completely motionless. His lips were parted slighly and his hands rested limply on his chest; if they added a flower boquet, he would be the picture image of Snow White. "What are we going to do Syaoran?" she asked him softly while looking at Eriol. He shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. If only you had a card that could break the spell or at least wake him up." he drifted off motioning his hands slightly while he shook his head. It seemed hopeless but Sakura got an idea suddenly.  
  
ERIOL  
  
He was alone in a dark and seemingly endless room of voidness. A spell, he thought, I'm under a bloody drain spell. but I only knew one person a long, long time ago that knew how to cast a drain spell and that's-  
  
Memories of his past life flooded through his brain overwhelmingly. The rainy night he had first saw the three of them, the cards telling him about Yanagi, putting spell on her and the Clow Book, so when ever she tried to touch it her hands would right through. And that September morning when he found Delta dead in his bed, then her sister Ambi dead in hers. Both killed by their own sister. Oh no, she back, he thought sadly, now she's going finish her bussiness and kill Tomoyo then take Sakura's cards. He felt more magic slip away from him and he sank ankle deep down into the ground, he was getting closer to death. What can I do? He asked himself. "Hello?" Eriol watched Sakura appear and let her echoes answer her for the time being. A Dream fog came with her and started to fill the "room". He heard her thoughts clearly as if they were his own. Where am I? She thought where IS this place? He answered them "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." She spun around and looked at him, and then she ran to him after crying out his name. Sakura hugged him, sqeezing out his breath. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. He watched them with interest, she sobered out of her happiness looked at him warily. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head down. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are just a Rookie at magic." He mock ignored all that she had said except for the part about her innercore and potential. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" Sakura and her Dream Fog started to disappate. She was either waking up or was moving on to a new dream. "You'll figure it out." "Wait! What is that supposed to mean?" He desperately wanted to tell her exactly what it ment, but he was bound by the Laws of Destiny and Fate. Eriol hoped she got the message though. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" She vanished completely and he was once again alone waiting for a rescue or death- which ever came first. At least, he thought, I have some entertainment while I have to wait. His glasses flashed in the dark even though there was no light there at all. Eriol recalled what he "saw" when Sakura remembered what happened that day. Oh I can tease him FORVER; he laughed maniacily, the balcony scene played out in his mind and an evil smile spread across his lips.  
  
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Yay! Hehehehehehhe... Oh I WILL have a LOT of fun through Eriol I think. I'm pretty sure I will let him live just based on the fact that he amuses me. Ok now I will explain a little of what happened in this chapter. The personality emotions are the key to opening her poetential. One by one she will have to unlock her personality emotions. I think sincerity will be first. The others later as I came to them, oh well ta ta for now! 


	5. And You Thought That Was Bad…

Here is chapter five! Yet again on the laptop I'm borrwing! You know what? I has absolutly no mouse what so ever the little nob was broken off so I have to use a couple strait pens! But that's okay, at least I HAVE something to write on. Hehehehe. did you notice that Sakura had ended up in Syaoran's bed? Well- hmmm you'll see  
  
^-^  
  
we all have our secrets.  
  
anyway this is chap 5 enjoy!  
  
What do own?  
  
Not this!  
  
  
  
/// = dream  
  
"" = words  
  
BOLD= POV  
  
~~~BOLD~~~ = scene  
  
# (words)# = mental conversations ************************************  
  
*** CHAPTER FIVE: And You Thought That Was Bad. ***  
  
  
  
Sakura  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No," Syaoran said. "It's too risky."  
  
"What's the risk? All I will be doing is making a new card. It's not like I'm going for a swim in shark infested waters." Sakura replied, her hands resting on her hips in defiance. She didn't know why he was so worried, it was no big deal. Just making a new card.  
  
"Sakura," Tomoyo whispered. "Syaoran's right, it is dangerous, you shouldn't do this. You might get hurt."  
  
So far only Kero was not talking on the topic, he floated in the air slighly back away from the chattering the group.  
  
"Not even for Eriol?" Sakura taunted. Tomoyo blushed and found something else to look at, which happened to be Syaoran.  
  
Sakura continued, " I'm going to do this-the two of you can't stop me. Now will you help me or just get in my way?"  
  
They fell silent and looked at each other as tension filled the room. To Sakura it was almost as if they were looking into each other's eyes; she felt a pang of jealousy. Finally Kero spoke up, slightly startling Sakura.  
  
"We will need certain herbs and stones first, but after that, it's all up to you. And your core potential." He looked at Syaoran.  
  
" Gesalt, kudzu, athmest, and passiflora incarnata. Do you have them?"  
  
Silence made and entrance and filled the room to capacity again. Briefly, Sakura wondered if Syaoran didn't have them. If he didn't, the whole plan would go up in smoke. Tomoyo's face mirrored Sakura's own thoughts exactly, this did not comfort her at all.  
  
Syaoran spoke up quietly, " my mother could teleport them here if I asked."  
  
He looked into her eyes making her knees weaken " and I will ask her."  
  
Sakura found some strength and returned his steady gaze, two emeralds sparkled happilly from their sockets. She opened her mind and reached out to his gently.  
  
# Thank you Syaoran, you have no idea how much this means to me.#  
  
He blushed, probably from her intruding in his mind, she thought.  
  
# No problem Sakura.I would do-#  
  
He stopped his train of thought and suddenly broke off. Leaving Sakura confused, but still happy that he would help her.  
  
She smiled at him with ease, "after this Eriol won't be in your house any more. Won't you be happy then!"  
  
He smiled back and nodded, they both knew he almost hated Eriol. Even though he had never hated anyone in his entire life. Her smiles also had a tendancy to make others smile compulsively.  
  
She asked him gently, "can you call your mother now?"  
  
  
  
Sakura was completely alone in Syaoran's bedroom, his bed was pushed to the wall along with all the other furnature. She sat on her knees on the wood floor, a bowl of poultice on her right and two sheets of blank white paper on her left; and a spool of thread in the middle. The paper was roughly about the size of her Sakura Cards. And the poultice was the ground up and moist materials of the ingredients Syaoran's mother had given them.  
  
She was ready to begin.  
  
Taking a small scoop of the poultice in her hand she felt the tips of her fingers tingle faintly. She patted the poultice down onto one of the blank sheets and began to smooth it out with her finger tips. Sakura spread it out thinly so it covered the entire sheet evenly. When she was done with that she wiped her fingers off on a paper towel that had also been placed within arm's reach.  
  
Setting the paper towel down, she picked up the other blank sheet and placed it firmly on top of the poultice cover one.  
  
Sakura lifted the spool and looked at it and touched it's strand, it was a familiar she was using to remind her of what and who she was making the card for. She had thought it would be perfect, Eriol was famous in this group for his string. It defined him, a soul who never ended. It had another purpose too; it would hasten the process.  
  
She played with the string, deep in thought about the whole situation. Like Kero had told her, she kept the card's purpose in mind always.  
  
Remember, Kero had told her just before he had left her in here, the card has to be magically activated to awaken it's power. AND you CAN'T force it, nothing will happen at all if you try to do that.  
  
So she sat on the wooded floor thinking of what it would be used for. Eriol drifted casually into her mind and she thought about how much he had lost in his past life.  
  
A tear formed in her eye.  
  
Tomoyo also dirfted into her mind, and she thought about how much her friend would miss Eriol if this didn't go according to plan.  
  
The tear swelled.  
  
"I just want him to wake up." She mumured, not noticing she had voiced her thoughts out loud.  
  
Sakura closed here eyes and the tear spilled onto her cheek and towards her chin. She bowed her head down right over the almost card.  
  
How am I supposed to activate it so it will become one of my cards? She thought dismally, I don't even know how to do that.  
  
The tear sparkled a navy blue before dropping off of her chin.  
  
She watched it fall absently, still thinking about how she was going activate the card. It hovered a second over the make-shift card, only a an inch above it, then it plunged in.  
  
With wide eyes Sakura watched as the card shimmered and her casting circle appeared with out her having to call on it. It formed around her and the card, filling the room with a magical light. The card floated up to eye level to a now standing Sakura. It spun rappidlly, as beams of magic shot out of her heart and pierced into the card making it glow fiercely.  
  
Then the magic from her heart stopped projecting into the card, and the card it's self glowed with magic. Starting at the top, magic stenciled drawings of her circle and the spirit onto it.  
  
It's rotation gradually slowed from it's amazing speed as the magic finished it's stenciling. It stopped with it's back to Sakura, still incadescent from activation. The card turned and floated to her now outstreacthed hand, it slid into her fingers as if it had always been there. Always MEANT to be there.  
  
The spirit was a little girl with long curled hair. She wore a straw hat with a thin ribbon bow on the side of it. Her dress was knee length and poofed out in a way that made her look like an antique porceline doll. Her face was simple elegance with and eye closed smile that was contageous. In the little girl's hands was a transparent bouncy ball.  
  
Sakura smilled back at the card, jubliation filling her heart.  
  
I did it, she thought, I really did it.  
  
A tear of gratitude fell on to the card and it shimmered gently, grateful that it had a caring master.  
  
Before Sakura passed out, she read it's name out loud.  
  
"Awake"  
  
  
  
Tomoyo  
  
  
  
She stoood by the door nervously waiting with Syaoran and Kero. Waiting for Sakura to activate the new card; the card that would help Eriol.  
  
Can she do it? Tomoyo wondered, she didn't mean to be sceptical. Sakura was her best friend, and she had total faith in her, but the question remained.  
  
Could she?  
  
What if her powers weren't strong enough, what then? From what Tomoyo understood, she would have to develop one of her personality magics to make the card. But which one- if any one- would emerge?  
  
Love?  
  
Hope?  
  
Sincerity?  
  
Friendship?  
  
Courage?  
  
Or Trust?  
  
Tomoyo heard Sakura's voice come softly through the door.  
  
"I just want him."  
  
inadvertantly she looked toward Syaoran.  
  
Can't she stop thinking about him for one tiny, little second? She wondered.  
  
But when she saw Syaoran's face, her annoyance at Sakura disappeared. His face was pale and his mouth was an wide O of shock.  
  
Oh no, oh no, oh no! Tomoyo thought. He- oh no. what she said- he must like her too. He took what she said in the wrong way. Oh no, no, no, no! This is not good! Sakura, you've really made yourself a mess this time.  
  
He thinks you mean Eriol!  
  
SYAORAN  
  
  
  
  
  
"I just want him." Sakura's voice drifted to him softly through the door of his room. It drifted off inaudibly at the end, but he had heard enough of it to get the message.  
  
No! Syaoran thought, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! she-she-she loves. Eriol!  
  
He felt the color drain away from his face and his mouth drop open. Tomoyo was looking at him in shock, but he didn't care. It didn't matter now if she knew he loved Sakura, it didn't matter because he knew now she would never feel the same way. Last night.. a mistake, she had never wanted him. He had been just fooling himself. just like he had with Asa. No, all along she had loved Eriol.  
  
Syaoran remembered the flowers that Eriol used to give Sakura in class.  
  
So he likes her back, he never dragged me to be with Sakura, he had wanted a-a-a friend to give him an escuse to be near her. That's where Tomoyo and I had come in, he hadn't wanted Tomoyo, no that had been a cover for his true feelings for Sakura.  
  
He hung his head in ultimate dispair, I guess I should be supportive of her relationship with him ... I am her friend.And that's more than me and Asa Chong ended up being.  
  
A bright white light of magic filtered through the open spaces of his bedroom door. The three of them covered their eyes with their hands reflexsivly.  
  
"what the-" Syaoran muttered.  
  
  
  
In Sakura's bed room her Magic Sphere awakened and the navy blue part of the inner core magics joined the outer.  
  
  
  
"she activated it" Kero murmured in astonishment and pride. "she acctually did it!" then reflexivly he turned into Kerberos after enfolding himself in his lengthened wings.  
  
The light died down and immeanse silence came from the bedroom. They all looked at each other wondering what to do next. Finally Keroberos did something, he pushed open the door. Tomoyo gasped and they all rushed in; Sakura was passed out and had fallen on the hard wooden floor. In her hand was the card that they had been so worrried about her making.  
  
Syaoran flipped it over and read it's name : Awake.  
  
Great, he thought, now if only we could use it on her.  
  
He looked at her sleeping face and her slighly parted lips. Syaoran's heart raced, but no, he would have to be satisfied with being ONLY her friend. She looked so angelic when she was sleeping, so at peace. He placed the new card in Keroberos's paws while Tomoyo recorded everything. Syaoran lifted up Sakura's light body carefully, as if she were a delicate glass figurine and brought her into his bed.  
  
Bitterly and somewhat amusedly, he thought about how many times she had been in his bed just today. But since she was going to be resting there, he would have to sleep in a chair or on the floor, seeing as Eriol had the couch.  
  
Gently he laid her down, and pulled his covers up to her chin.  
  
Like any FRIEND would.  
  
  
  
Tomoyo and he once again picked up his two coffee cups for the second time that night. The rim of his cup was high enough that he was just barely peering over it at Tomoyo. The steam made his eyes water, but he welcomed the wetness; it refreshed him.  
  
They were alone, Kero was somewhere in the kitchen rooting through his refridgirator. Finally he spoke up softly.  
  
"You know they love each other."  
  
Tomoyo looked confused, "who?"  
  
"Eriol and Sakura, I just figured it out tonight when I heard what she said when she was alone in here. I think you heard it too." Tomoyo nodded, she had heard, but she knew what Sakura had meant- or rather who Sakura had meant.  
  
"I think you misunderstood her though Syaoran. She couldn't possibly love him, she loves-"  
  
Tomoyo looked away suddenly blushing furiously. Syaoran couldn't believe it, he knew that Sakura and Tomoyo were close, but not that close. How was it that he always seemed to fall in love with the lesbiens? Was he cursed or something?  
  
"Oh, Tomoyo, I didn't know you two-" he drifted off gesturing his hand in the air.  
  
Once again she looked at him confused until the relization of what he meant came to her. Then she just looked shocked, and slightly appaled that Syaoran thought Sakura was a lesbien. She said nothing at first though wanting to think over and choose her words carefully.  
  
"she is NOT a lesbien Syaoran, and she is not in love with Eriol."  
  
"Then who IS she in love with? You said- oh" understanding swept across his face. "Yukito."  
  
How dense can one person be? Tomoyo wondered, right now she felt like slamming his head into the wall. How could he just automatically skip over himself like that? Was he blind?  
  
Controlling her burning rage, she looked him square in the eyes while talking through clenched teeth. "no, it's not him either Syaoran, do you know who that leaves?"  
  
Syaoran gave her a look of pure confoundment, which was rare on his face, then shock swept over it.  
  
He whispered softly, "Kero?"  
  
Tomoyo screamed in aggrivation and Sakura turned in Syaoran's bed.  
  
He is soo dense, she thought.  
  
She stalked out of the room in blind fury leaving him alone with Sakura.  
  
What was that all about? He wondered, why did she get so angry? Was there some guy I forgot?  
  
He counted the people who had been eleminated on his fingers, skipping himself because it would be impossble for such a sweet girl like her to like a guy like him. There was no one left except for Yamakazi, and he knew she didn't like him like that.  
  
A knock came softly from his front door and he got up to answer it still thinking deeply. When he did open the door, he was surprised completely.  
  
"Yue? What are you doing here?"  
  
Water dripped off of him in spite of the clear blue sky. Leaving Syaoran to wonder where exactly the guardian had been recently.  
  
"hello Syaoran Li, may I come in?"  
  
Syaoran opened the door for him to enter and sniffed he air as he passed by.  
  
"Yue? Do I smell SOAP?"  
  
Sakura  
  
Once again Sakura woke up in Syaoran's bed. That's it, she thought, that's the last time I have a couple drinks in vegas- I always end up here. She laughed silently, but is that so bad? She wondered.  
  
She turned her head to look at his alarm clock and saw that it was four o' clock in the afternoon.  
  
Touya's just gonna love this, she thought distainfully. She sat up and fell back down with a killer migrain. I guess I should learn not to do that by now, apparently Syaoran's bed give me headaches.  
  
"ohhhhaah.." she moaned, touching her temples gently, amazed how the same thing always happened when she was in his bed.  
  
"Do not try to sit up mistress, you used a lot of magic in creating that card to day just lie ther for a while."  
  
His words made sense but it didn't matter, she still sat up; but slowly this time. She looked at Yue, he was wet and his hair damp and matted as if he had flown in a gusty rain. But last time she had checked, it was a clear day. How long had she been out for?  
  
"Yue what are you doing here? And why are you all wet?"  
  
Yue took in a breath of exaperation, which made it seem like he had told why many times before she had woken up.  
  
"well mistress, Yukito was in the shower when you created the new card. So when you used so much of your Clow magic he automatically transformed into me." He said it matter-of -factly but he still seemed put out about being wet, but then again he always was sullen.  
  
"sorry I had to make the card for-for- Eriol! I gotta use it, I need to wake him up." she swung her legs from the bed and got off of it. She made it to the doorway just before collapsed, Sakura held on to the doorframe desperately so she wouldn't fall all the way to the floor.  
  
She looked at Yue and asked him weakly, "I don't suppose you can carry me home can ." she passed out again and Yue walked over and picked her up and carried her through the door with no apparent strain of strength at all.  
  
Yue walked over to the balcony and spread his magnficent wings. Sakura woke up slightly again and mumured to him, "make sure you caver us in an illusionary shield so no one sees us ." she trailed off fast asleep and her head nestled itself in his shoulder. A soft sigh of unconscious contentment escaped her lips as he answered her sleeping form.  
  
"yes mistress."  
  
Then he took off in flight to her home, seen only as a shadow in the sky, with his mistress asleep in his strong arms.  
  
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*  
  
  
  
So you like? Hehehe... I liked confusing Syaoran like that and throwing things at Kero and throwing him. Hehehehe..  
  
Did you know I got more R+R with my other story an it is about half as long as this totally. What kind of freaky thing is that? Well I think it is acctually the better story but don't quote me on that you may not agree. But then again you might, I mean it is half as long and already got twice as many R+Rs.  
  
Eh who knows?  
  
I gotta type up more chapters, so later peoples. 


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